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Earth Notes

2:25 am

Thu March 23, 2006

Official English

Phoenix, AZ – A similar measure adopted in 1988 was declaredunconstitutional because it prevented public officialsand employees from communicating with customers andconstituents. This proposal gets around that byspelling out that unofficial communications can beconducted in any language as long as all officialactions are in English. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema said themove ignores the changes occurring in the state.

(What we are doing today is telling Arizona that we arenot ready for change, that we are afraid of what is newand what is different and that we are unwilling tolearn about what our community is becoming and will bein the future. And that makes me sad.)

Others suggested the proposal is anti-Hispanic or anti-immigrant. But Rep. Marian McClure who supports themove rejected those arguments.

(All I really care about is they, anyone that comes tothis country wants very badly to accept the Americanway of life. The American way of life includes learningthe language.)

The measure now goes to the Senate and, if approvedthere, will be on the November ballot. In Phoenix, forArizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.